Do you want to walk in a place named after a legend, from misty woodlands to sandy hilly paths and breathtaking views? Welcome to the Devil’s Punch Bowl Hike! You might not encounter the Devil but he made sure to be quite a challenge for you to get to the top. What a villain!
The Devil’s Punch Bowl Hike is that perfect middle ground in between a difficult hike that might kill you and a too easy too flat stroll in the countryside fields. You get what you came for: a challenge and the view but you can still make it home without needing a wheelchair. I highly recommend this linear hike from Milford to Haslemere passing by the National Trust Devil’s Punch Bowl site, for a day full of mystery and a good workout. So let’s get to it!
Disclaimer 1: I have done this walk on a misty day, therefore I was not able to take pictures of the Devil’s punch bowl. The pictures of the depression are courtesy of a friend who did the hike on a bright day
Disclaimer 2: Some hiking groups may offer the same or similar walks to the Devil’s Punch Bowl. Find out more information here.
Logistics for the Devil’s Punch Bowl Hike
- Distance: 11.62 miles (18.7 km)
- Total Ascent: 814 feet (248 m)
- Highest Point: 883 ft (270 m)
- Lowest Point: 144 ft (44 m)
- Walking Estimate: 4 hours and 45 minutes
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- How to get there:
- Direct trains from Waterloo to Milford. The journey takes 1 hour.
- For the return take a direct train from Haslemere to Waterloo. The journey takes 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Milford and Haslemere are on the same line so you can book an anytime day return to Haslemere and get off at Milford.
- For those who prefer to drive, please note that this is a linear walk. Therefore, you would need to take the train back from Haslemere to Milford for 2 stops. Moreover, the train only stops at Milford if it is not a fast train to Waterloo, which might be an inconvenience.
- What to pack:
- Comfortable clothing and footwear,
- Gaiters, gaiters, gaiters (did I say gaiters?) as the path can get extremely muddy after a few days of rain
- Trekking poles for the climb are advisable. You can also use them to assess how deep the mud puddles are.
- Headcover as it gets windy at the top of the hill
- Snack & packed lunch
- Money for the stop at the National Trust Coffee Shop and the pub at the end.
- Additional Information
- There are public toilets at the National Trust Devil’s Punch Bowl site
- There is a coffee shop at the National Trust Site in case you do not want to bring a packed lunch
- Where to eat and drink:
- National Trust Cafe, Hindhead, Surrey
- The Swan Inn, Haslemere, Surrey
Highlights of the Devil’s Punch Bowl Hike
- Milford
- Thursley
- The Unknown Sailor Memorial
- Gibbet Hill
- Devil’s Punch Bowl
- Haslemere
- The Swan Hill Pub
The Devil’s Punch Bowl Hike
Milford
The walk starts in the medieval village of Milford, Surrey. The village counts 3 churches and a wide range of shops and amenities. While you can find many impressive cottages in the village, there is not much more to see in Milford. But unfortunately, there is no closer station to the trailhead, so you need to start by walking through Milford.
Fun fact: In November 1969, Doctor Who and the Silurians was filmed at the Milford Hospital. In the show, the hospital is named the Wenley Hospital.
It will take you 30 minutes to walk across Milford in order to join Mousehill Down where the walk really starts. You arrive at Moursehill Mead gate which looks like the private entrance of some kind of haunted manor. But no. It is the entrance of a public footpath with no manor, haunted or not. In fact, push the gate, and you set foot in an alley bordered with huge and quite strange-looking shaped trees, for some of them.
On the way to Thurley
Continue walking down the alley. In the end, climb over the stile and walk down on the main path.
And here comes the muddy part. As you get closer to Royal Brook, you will find that the path is so muddy, that you want to walk on the side to avoid the mud puddles. Problem: there is hardwire on both sides. You are therefore left with one option, walking across it. Gaiters on, unfold your trekking pole and start dipping it in the mud to find the least deep path to the other side.
If you think you were done with the mud challenge, sorry to break it to you but there will be more likely a second one right behind. If you are already covered in mud all the way to the knees, easy. Just walk through it. If not, use the trekking pole technic to stay as clean as possible.
Once you have walked past the two mud puddles, cross over Royal Brook, follow the path and you will enter the misty forest (only if you go on a misty day of course) of Oakley Common. Continue in the forest until you reach Thursley.
Thursley
The village of Thursley is named after to god Thor. It is believed that this is where he used to be worshipped. The reference to a rock named Thor’s Stone can be found in ancient guides, but nowadays it is uncertain where that stone could actually be located.
The village counts one church dated back to Saxon times. Thursley was also the base of military camps between 1922 and 1957 and was bombed on 7th November 1942.
The north of the village is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and in the South, you can join the Greensand Way, all the way down (or up actually as it is a hill) to Haslemere.
Thursley is a good spot for a lunch break, ideally located just before the climb of Gibbet Hill. You can find benches in the cemetery behind the church. It might not sound like the most adequate place for a lunch break, but trust me, after nearly 10 km of walking, sitting on a bench is a delight. And where that bench is located does not matter anymore. Moreover, you can admire the view across the fields with the big houses on the opposite side, playing hide and seek behind the trees.
A nice view and a decent seat. And now, what are you having for lunch? If you do not have any idea for hiking meals, try these recipes for a refreshing lunch, or soup and stew for a warm lunch on a cold day hike.
As you leave the cemetery, you walk past a gravestone in the memory of the Unknown Sailor. On 24th September 1786, a generous sailor met with three highwaymen in Thursley. They spent the evening together at the pub and he paid for the drinks. Later that night, the highwaymen killed him and stripped him of his belongings. They were arrested a few hours later trying to resale the poor sailor’s clothes. The three were hanged.
Related Content: Long Man of Wilmington Walk
Gibbet Hill
After lunch, you can either choose to have a look at Thursley and walk alongside Highfield Lane, or you can take the footpath leading to the fields. Both ways meet at the end, and this is where the climb starts.
It takes around 25 minutes from the moment you walk past the National Trust sign to the top of Gibbet Hill, the second-highest point in Surrey. The name comes from the fact it used to be the place where criminals were hanged on a gibbet.
Related Content: Best Surrey Hills Walks
As you climb, the vegetation prevents you from seeing what is below. There is a viewpoint on the main path as you get closer to the top, but we were there on a foggy day so could not see much. What is actually below you is the A3, which is now underground to preserve the Devil’s Punch Bowl site.
From there, leave the main path and take a trail onto the forested area. Continue walking up the hill. You will soon arrive at the top of Gibbet Hill at 272m above sea level. There is a trig point and a bench, ideal for (self-distanced) group photos.
The Devil’s Punch Bowl
Leave Gibbet hill and it is only a 10-minute descent until you reach the National Trust Devil’s Punch Bowl house. There you will find public toilets (much needed), a coffee shop with hot, cold and alcoholic drinks as well as pastries. If you are a Londoner, patience is the order of the day. You are not at a busy Starbucks in the City at rush hour: this is countryside pace.
Bear in mind that if you are doing this walk in wintertime, you would want to reach Haslemere before sundown. So you might not want to waste too much time here, knowing the service is horrendously slow. However, I would recommend, if you are going on a clear day, that you take the time to check the view over the Devil’s Punch Bowl from the cliff.
So, why the Devil’s Punch Bowl?
The legend tells that the Devil was jealous of all the churches being built in Sussex. Therefore, one night, he decided to dig from the Chanel into Sussex to flood the area and make the Churches disappear underwater. However, he got stopped at the village of Poynings by the rooster crowing. As he thought it was nearly the break of dawn, he leapt into Surrey, creating a deep depression where he landed, called the Devil’s Punch Bowl.
Haslemere
Leave the National Trust site, and start your descent towards Haslemere. It takes around 1 hour to reach your final destination. Cross over the A3 via the footbridge, and you will be walking on the edge of the ridge. You can admire the view below you as you are going down (wheater dependant as you can see in the picture below).
Then enter a forested area, however, you would need to be mindful that some of the slopes are quite steep and covered in wet leaves at this time of year.
You finally reach the bottom and arrive in a residential area. Continue your walk towards Haslemere. Pass by St Bartholomew’s Church and then onto the lovely town centre.
Walk up the High Street and you will find two pubs, one on each side of the road facing each other. I would advise you to pick the Swan Inn, for their yummy Sunday roasts and pies. Add a cup of mulled wine or a pint of beer to end the hike in the most perfect way possible.
Devil’s Punch Bowl Hike Map
If you want to do this hike, download the map below and you can follow the trail on your phone. To know how to upload the map on your navigating app, please check my guide here.
Final Thoughts on the Devil’s Punch Bowl Hike
I have tried and reviewed a lot of hikes and walks since I started this blog. Some are pretty lame, some others are a bit of the same again and again. But this one is really worth doing. Not too difficult, but not easy as well, with great views, different types of terrain and a site full of mystery. With a pub at the end, what more do you need?
If you want to do another legend-related hike, check out the Farnham Circular walk. When the Devil and a white witch meet, this is what happens …
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And you, what is your favourite National Trust walk? Let me know in the comments
